Writers: Do You Have a Reading Habit or a Reading Hobby?
James Baldwin’s best advice for writers: Read!
There’s a James Baldwin quote that offers the winning formula for literary greatness. It goes like this: “Read. Read. Read. Never stop reading. And when you can’t read anymore, write.”
That sounds easy, right? Baldwin never officially attended writing classes. He never got an MFA. Instead, he said he, “read himself out of two libraries in Harlem,” before he turned 13. And he continued to read to “learn how to write,” throughout his prolific, literary career.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that writers need to read in order to improve their craft, but what may come as a surprise is how much work it takes to actually develop and stick to a regular reading habit, rather than just a reading hobby.
The Difference Between a Reading Habit and a Reading Hobby
To a certain extent, I feel like I’m preaching to the choir when I say that writers need to always be reading. In fact, most writers are readers first. We fall in love with the written word as children, and then decide that we too want to make magic on the page. Sometimes the falling in love part happens in adolescence or later, but it is usually the reading of books that leads to the writing of books. So, what’s the big difference between reading as a hobby vs reading as a habit?
I would guess that most people, writers included, read because it gives them immense pleasure. We select books based on our interests and likes. We read books by authors whose prose goes down easy, or whose storylines excite us. We read books because they offer an easy form of escape, a cheaper version of therapy, and books can teach us new things we want to learn. And in today’s influencer-mad world, some of us are reading because the TikTok Girlies make it sound so cool. This form of reading, I would say, is hobby reading. Even if we keep track of the books we read on apps like StoryMap, and we diligently attend a monthly book club, the impetus for our reading is mostly pleasure and we don’t have any real rules, regulations, or specific purpose to our practice.
If you have a reading habit, or a reading practice, then you read with intention. You read with regularity and purpose. You keep track of what you read and why. You reflect on what you read and contextualize it as both story and craft. And most importantly, your reading has a direct influence on your growth as a writer.
That’s the difference.
Read Like a Writer
In order to cultivate a reading habit, the first thing writers must do, is acknowledge the importance of reading for their writing practice. If we are not reading with intention and purpose, then there is no actual benefit to our writing practice. It sounds harsh, but it’s true. This doesn’t mean that every book must be a homework assignment, but if there is no record and reflection on the work you are reading, then the “lessons” aren’t learned. We don’t learn simply through osmosis. We have to pay attention to the craft. We must read like a writer.
How to Cultivate a Reading Habit for Writers
Here are some tangible ways to cultivate a reading habit as a writer.
Invest in a Tracking System for Your Reading Practice. I personally inexpensive, simple blank notebooks like these, for this type of tracking, but if you love technology, this can be done with spreadsheets, tracking apps, or other forms of online organizing. This is not a Goodreads account, as writers need to do far more than record the books they read and give them a quick star-based review.
Create Specific Reading Goals. Just as we usually sit down and plan out our goals for what writing projects we want to accomplish over a certain period of time, we should also plan out our reading goals. In your notebook, decide how many and what specific books you want to read over a certain period of time, and why. You could consider this a quarterly assignment. For example, I gave myself six books to read in Q4. Knowing I was traveling, I knew I could read two more books than usual because I’d have several hours on airplanes and trains to read. The books I chose for myself were all contemporary fiction with racial undertones and centered on the lives of writers. The books on my list are in direct conversation with my current work-in-progress.
Be clear, your writing goals should not be about forcing yourself to read a large number of books like the bookstagrammers out here on Beyonce’s internet. This is about being thoughtful about building your craft as a writer. Maybe you want to read three new books that are in conversation with your next book project for inspiration. Maybe you want to read certain books that use first-person POV really well. Perhaps you’re interested in books that cover a certain time-period or theme. Or maybe you simply want to read some recent best-sellers to see what the people are interested in these days. The choices are endless. The point is to know what you’re reading and why. And give yourself a deadline and a schedule for each title so that you stay accountable.
Be an Active Reader. Reading with purpose is different than reading just for the story. If you have a specific reason for reading, then you will read with a more critical eye. As an active reader, you should find yourself paying closer attention to the work of the writer. Sometimes the book is just too good and you fall into the story, forgetting everything you promised to look out for, and that’s okay. When we read like a writer, sometimes we read a book twice. Or we read once for the story, and then return to the pages looking at craft elements. If the book belongs to you, as you read, you might underline passages, mark pages, and make notes in the margins to remind yourself of things to come back to and review.
Reflect and Record. When you are finished reading, use your notebook to reflect on your feelings about the book. Write a review for yourself. Also, reflect and record why you read the book and if it met your expectations. Was the POV really good? Why? Did you learn something about the time period that you need for your next book? Were there craft elements that the writer executed really well? Write it down. Write it all down. In essence, with your notebook, you are creating your own textbook to come back to again and again for your own writing practice. And borrowing an idea from the bullet journaling community, I highly suggest you create an index for your notebook so you know what books are recorded in each notebook. That way, in the future, you can easily find the lessons learned from the books you read.
Find a Reading Buddy or Community. It goes without saying that you do not need a partner to read. But it is always enjoyable and potentially quite useful to discuss your recent reads with others. But beware of the basic book club. Book clubs are great for reading hobbyists, but for your reading habit, I highly recommend finding a book club made up of writers and/or a reading buddy who is also a writer who can engage in conversation with you about the book from multiple perspectives. By speaking with other writers about the book, you may add to your own learning and can add these new ideas to your notebook for future contemplation. Also, it’s just fun to kiki with other folks who read the same book as you. Remember, having a reading habit, rather than a reading hobby should still be fun. So, yes, stickers are allowed in your notebook.
Reading is Fundamental…and Fun for Writers
At the end of the day, writers must be readers, but reading, like writing, should bring you pleasure. Otherwise, what’s the point? If reading feels tedious to you, you may need to find a different form of artistic expression.
Cultivating a reading habit should still be fun for writers.
I want to be clear, having a reading habit doesn’t mean you have to read the so-called classics to learn craft. Au contraire. You must read the books that call to your soul and that you know will elevate your practice and craft as a writer. If you want to write witchy genre fiction, then honey, grab all the witchy books and start reading those. If romance is your jam, the same goes for you. Reading Steinbeck, or Ta-Nehisi Coates for that matter, isn’t going to help you write a better meet-cute romance novel.
That doesn’t mean, however, that you shouldn’t read wider than your specific genre. It doesn’t mean you can’t challenge yourself to read some good nonfiction about the history of witchcraft, or about medicinal plants so your witchy books are infused with realistic elements that elevate your novels. It doesn’t mean that if you are a memoirist, you shouldn’t read some first-person fiction to learn good storytelling techniques. Take a note from Octavia Butler’s grazing practice, and surround yourself with nonfiction books on topics that interest you and spark your curiosity. Cookbooks and encyclopedias are cool too. Keep those books ready and available so that they might start you reading about something that actually prompts you to start writing something new.
Remember, you are in charge of crafting your own reading curriculum. You get to create your reading lists based on your needs as a writer. If you remember to read with purpose, have clear goals, and reflect and record everything you read, then you will develop a useful reading habit that will make you a better writer. Writers who read really do see their craft improve, their vocabulary improves, their writing grows more expansive, and they take more risks with their work. Take it from me, and James Baldwin, just keep reading.